Trending Articles

RSS Feeds

Friends of SOAR

ArtistsBillofRights.org reviews competitions and appeals seeking creative content, listing those that respect your copyrights and highlighting those that don't. Art Matters! publishes calls to artists, and not all of them may be compliant with ABoR's standards. Visit their site to learn more.

The Southern Oregon World of Wine is the premier wine event for Southern Oregon and now it is also the premier fundraising event in support of local medical care at Asante. New this year the funds raised during the Southern Oregon World of Wine will go to Children’s Miracle Network and other programs supported by Asante Foundation to help ensure when your family needs them Asante will be there with the finest medical care in a compassionate manner. The goal is to build the Southern Oregon World of Wine into a destination event celebrating the wine industry and highlighting the culinary, hospitality, natural beauty, cultural and outdoor activities of Southern Oregon.This year’s Southern Oregon World of Wine is set for August 19 – 23 at the historic Bigham Knoll Campus at 525 Bigham Knoll Drive in Jacksonville. The event boasts wines from 50 southern Oregon wineries and offers attendees a rare opportunity to meet the faces of the area’s wine makers.The Wine Competition will feature some of the best wines from participating wineries that will be tasted and judged by a panel of renowned judges, who traveled from all over the country to participate. Blind tastings are done on Thursday and Friday of the event. The winning wines will be showcased at the Medal Dinner and Auction on Friday.

The Southern Oregon Wine Region is one of the most diverse wine regions in the world. The AVA, which was made official in 2004, offers one of the largest collections of handcrafted wineries in the country. Its eclectic and cutting edge winemakers offer old and new world styles of winemaking. Vintners and winemakers will showcase more than 200 of their wines with a variety of classic and traditional varietals including: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. More exotic varietals will include Tempranillo, Viognier and Albarino. The Southern Oregon World of Wine Festival has been one of the Southern Oregon’s premier events for the past 11 years.

Check out a video from last year’s event

Sensory Classes

Thirsty for more than just a sip? Delve into the ‘World of Wine’ the week of the event with wine sensory, evaluation and education classes scheduled for Wednesday, August 20 through Friday, August 22.

Here’s a list of planned classes, each hosted by a wine expert in the field: Sensory Classes

Medal Dinner

Friday August 22, 6pm

Please join us for an enchanted evening under the stars where the Gold Medal/Best of Show Wines from the World of Wine will be paired with culinary delights. This evening is sure to be the Rogue Valley’s most magical dining experience of the year! Featuring:

Grand Tasting

Saturday August 23, 6pm

Enjoy a fine culinary and wine experience as you sample wines and indulge in a succulent array of tasty treats prepared by local master chefs designed to stimulate and satisfy your palate. The popular Grand Tasting offers a rare opportunity to meet the faces of the Southern Oregon wine industry all in one place! Winemakers and owners from 60-plus wineries will showcase more than 100 of the best wines unique to the region. Enjoy musical entertainment and a silent auction.

Ashland Gallery Association Spotlight Galleries

May 2014

Come out for the AGA First Friday Art Walk, May 2nd, from 5 to 8 pm! Stroll the galleries in downtown Ashland and the Historic Railroad District. Enjoy this free community event filled with spectacular artwork, live music, artist demonstrations, refreshments and conversation with other art enthusiasts!

Pick up a Gallery Tour Map at any member gallery, the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, or download off of our website: ashlandgalleries.com

Hanson Howard Gallery

Sculpture by Robin and John Gumaelius

Gumaelius and Anne Kristine

Collaborating artists and husband and wife, Robin and John Gumaelius incorporate ceramic, steel and wood to create animated human and birdlike sculptures. Their works are comical, bizarre and highly inventive. Robin says, “Radio stories, history books, biking adventures, gardening notes, neighbors spied, strangers watched in stores and parks and cars jangle together in our heads and come so freely to our fingers that when we see the pieces finished we are often delighted – as if we are not their creators; they just come to talk with us for a while and then leave again”. In their unique working relationship, Robin and John combine both skill and imagination together as an artistic team to build a singularly unusual world out of clay and mixed media. The couple and their four young children live in a wooded environment near the coast in Washington. While starting with a tree house, they have also built their own home, studio, barn and lush garden. The May exhibit also includes Paintings by Anne Kristine who is a recent and welcome addition to our gallery stable.

Photographers Gallery

Photograph by David Sherman

David Sherman Photos of Greece

On September 18th, 2004, I was married in Lithia Park, Ashland. On the next morning, we jumped on a plane, and travelled to a place I hadn’t been to in 20 years. I found my beloved Greece the same. Blue waters with white washed homes, fresh breeze. I took about 5000 pictures in just two weeks; here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

The Photographers’ Gallery features Fine Art Photography by Southern Oregon’s Finest. Located at the Ashland Art Center, the Photographers’ Gallery is the only one of its kind between Portland and San Francisco. The gallery features work by eleven photographers ranging from nationally recognized to emerging artists. A wide variety of styles are represented including: black & white, landscape, street, travel and abstract photography.

Nimbus

Eric Christenson, “Wine Country Artist”

“Passion for Pinot” by Eric Christenson

Eric Christensen began painting professionally in 1992. Since that time he has enjoyed amazing success and a growing reputation as a celebrated Wine Country Artist. Self-taught, he invented a watercolor technique that allows him to create images of vibrant color that go beyond the look and depth of a high quality photograph. Christensen is truly unique in his field and is considered to be the country’s premier watercolor artist capable of hyperrealism through the use of standard watercolor. Christensen began to develop his interest in painting, along with botany, classical music, and gourmet cooking as a child in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over time he has acquired a commanding knowledge in each of these fields, which have blended to make him the preeminent artist of today. In addition to his interests, Christensen also derives inspiration from the wine country surrounding his home, which is invariably portrayed in his paintings. As Christensen asserts, “it’s about the lifestyle – and the art of Fine Living!”

Join us at the Gallery in Nimbus to enjoy the artwork of Eric Christensen. You must see in person to appreciate his talent and artistry. His art will be available to enjoy throughout the summer of 2014. Wine and cheese served on First Fridays. Smiles everyday.

Hilltop Gallery

Squaring Off

By Richard Newman

“Squaring Off,” a two-person exhibit by Richard and Rochelle Newman of Ashland opens on April 26 for the “Taste of Ashland” and runs till June 2nd, 2014.

“In this exhibit, the artists’ long-term partnership allows for sparring back and forth and the bouncing of ideas between overlapping, but distinct, sensibilities. They have chosen to use the square and its incarnations as the departure point for their interplay and exhibition parameters.

The square is a diva, the generator of families of important rectangles that provide both variety and consistency. Despite her stability and uniformity, she is not a bore. Contrary to some opinions concerning her high symmetry, she provides infinite variety through a change in size, color, scale and distortion. She gives a constant length for measure, a constant square for area, and a constant cube for space. Her sub-divisions can be both playful and austere.

This exhibit provides a variety of media in both two and three dimensions for the viewer to play hide and seek by recognizing the compositional use of the square.”

Join us at TERRA FIRMA GIFT on Saturday, 12 October for “A Sweet Afternoon” featuring honey tastings with Bee Girl Sarah Red-Laird, mead tasting from Honeywood Winery and a book signing of The Honeylicker Angel with Jacksonville author Anna Elkins.

Honey Tasting

Bee Girl Sarah Red-Laird will give tastings of her local honey while also sharing information about how to preserve our vital honey bees.

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

Oregon Distilleries have made the grade! We are now part of the “Buy Oregon” campaign started by Ed King of King Estates Winery in Eugene. Check it out and support your local craft liquor producers that are your local businesses who create living wage jobs and . . . keep the money in Oregon! These spirits, wines, and beers are some of the best in the World!

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

JCO, aka Janice O was one of the many loyal fans having a ball at the 9th Annual Rogue Creamery Cheese Festival on 3.16.13. She so eloquently stated: “O-N gin & vodka make Southern Oregon more perfect than it already was. How lucky are we to have a world class product in our own back yard!”Do Not miss the 10th annual Cheese fest next year! It is such a fun crowd and loads of great cheese, wine, spirits, cupcakes, chocolate, and more. Our lovely volunteers, Diane, April, Hannah, and Eileen made the day fly by!

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

Salisha, pre-eminent Mixologist at LARKS Restaurant at the Ashland Springs Hotel did her handy work and infused Organic Nation vodka with vanilla bean and concocted a tasty Martini also including Rogue’s Chocolate Stout and Umpqua’s Vanilla Ice Cream. Besides being tasty, it was a fun time. Diane got to get behind the bar at LARKS and tell a little bit about the story behind Cascade Peak Spirits and Organic Nation. You can check out the love story in an article featured in Artisan Spirits magazine “Love at first Sip”.

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

Cascade Peak Spirits Distillery, home of ORGANIC NATION has done it again and more! both our certified organic vodka and gin won Gold medals at the third annual GOOD FOOD AWARDS competition for artisan food and beverage producers throughout the U.S. This competition is the brain child of the famous Alice Waters of the internationally renowned Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, CA. It honors crafters of chocolate, charcuterie, pickles, preserves, convections, cheese, coffee, beer and SPIRITS! We are proud to be the top Gold Medal winners amongst the quality artisan producers that won this year. In order to receive the Gold Medal distinction, you have to be certified organic, which of course, we are!

I was fortunate enough to meet Alice and get a hug, made my day! Along with being given the honor to receive the Spirits Category awards for the other nine distilleries. I gave a 3.09 minute speech that validated and rewarded all of the Micro-Distilleries for crafting more palatable quality spirits.

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

Our good friend Eric Poole, went to Ethiopia at the end of February to help his doctor friend, Matt with this incredible project, Cure Blindness in Ethiopia and he took a bottle of OldField Rye Whiskey clear around the world!! Go EP! running with Haile Gebrselassie and solving world blindness!

By Diane Paulson, 72 contributed posts View all Diane Paulson's posts.About the author: Organic Nation® handcrafts the Northwest’s first and finest organic spirits, certified by Oregon Tilth. Devoted to a “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet and Profits, we offer consumers a socially responsible alternative by “Buying local, Buying Green,” using locally sourced ingredients and adhering to sustainable business practices. See Organic Nation®'s listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource to learn more and make contact.

ORGANIC NATION gin and vodka will be available in New York in April with Athenee Distributors! Athenee’s mission is to support small producers, small vineyards, small businesses and create sustainability while doing so. Their supportive mission really matched our Saving the Planet One Martini At A Time! And we all know how those New Yorkers are: Progressive, knowledgeable locavores who are demand quality and have disposable income. The ultimate LOHAS consumer “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability”, who make purchasing decisions based on their values. So ask for ORGANIC NATION if you live in NYC, visit or know someone who does. Word of mouth & grass roots movement is very powerful!

By Christine Collier, 211 contributed posts View all Christine Collier's posts.About the author: Christine Collier is the founder and editor of the Southern Oregon Wine Blog, founded in December 2009. The blog feeds to the Oregon Wine Press and WineBusiness.com and is linked on many other top wine websites and blogs. She is a true believer that her blog is promoting the region by enticing tourists to visit and educating trade about our advancing wine quality - and we agree!

Elkton Oregon became the state’s newest American Viticultural Area after receiving approval from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau this week. The new Elkton Oregon AVA is entirely contained within the Umpqua Valley AVA, which is entirely within the Southern Oregon AVA. Oregon has a total of 17 AVAs.

By gaining AVA status, winegrowers and winemakers within the Elkton Oregon AVA can better describe the origin of their wines and consumers can better identify wines they may purchase. The TTB ruling is effective March 7, 2013. The AVA may be referred to as Elkton Oregon or Elkton OR.The newest Oregon AVA is the fulfillment of wine pioneer Ken Thomason’s dream of growing world class cool climate Pinot noir and white grapes near the small town of Elkton, which has a population of 170. Thomason began planting grapes in 1972 on a west facing bench two miles east of Elkton at a site now owned by Mike and Vonnie Landt of Rivers Edge Winery.The climate in Elkton is quite different from the prevailing perceptions of the surrounding areas. Southern Oregon is most often thought of as warmer and drier than winegrowing areas farther north in the Willamette Valley.Due to its location on the Umpqua River and only 36 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the geography allows for a strong marine influence with daily sea breezes and fog penetrating into the Umpqua River Valley. This gives Elkton its unique climate – cool, maritime and temperate – which is ideal for the varieties that Thomason originally planted.The local group which mounted the effort for the AVA’s approval called out Greg Jones of Southern Oregon University for his efforts in preparing and submitting the successful petition for AVA status to TTB.